The Texas parents locked in a dispute over whether or not their child has gender dysphoria will share joint custody, with both mother and father having a say in their child’s transition.
Judge Kim Cooks, of Dallas’ 255th Family District Court, ruled the 7-year-old child – born James Younger – and their twin brother Jude will stay in a joint managing conservatorship between their separated parents, Jeff Younger and Anne Georgulas.
This means both mother and father will share joint decision-making power over the twins’ medical, dental and psychiatric care.
You can see more about this story here:
Both parents will need to give their consent to their child using puberty blockers or undergoing a ‘medical transition,’ The Texan reports.
This decision comes shortly after a jury ruled in favour of giving Georgulas sole managing guardianship of the twins.
Georgulas, who works as a paediatrician, has claimed the child born as James is transgender and prefers to go by the name Luna. She is in support of the child being chemically castrated and wants them to go forward with hormone replacement therapy.
Three mental health professionals have diagnosed the child as having gender dysphoria, a condition whereby a person’s assigned sex at birth does not match up their gender identity.
The child reportedly goes by the name Luna while at school, and prefers to dress in female presenting clothing, according to the Daily Beast.
The custody battle began after Georgulas filed to restrict Younger’s contact with the twins. She also requested her former husband refer to James as Luna, while keeping the children away from those who would not agree to do so.
However, Younger proceeded to file his own court request in a bid to obtain sole custody of the twins to prevent the gender transition.
Younger disagrees his child has gender dysphoria, and believes they are simply experiencing confusion surrounding their gender. Younger has also accused his ex wife of forcing the child to wear dresses and present as a girl.
According to Younger – who has campaigned to prevent James’ transition – the child refuses to dress as a girl when at his house.
Judge Cooks placed a gag order on Younger and Georgulas during the proceedings, meaning neither one may speak with the media going forward. As per the judge’s ruling, both parents will also have to participate in counselling sessions.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence contact Mindline Trans+ on 0300 330 5468. The line is open Mondays and Fridays, 8pm to midnight and is run by trans volunteers.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.